The nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) is an elasmobranch fish in the family Ginglymostomatidae. The conservation status of the nurse shark is globally assessed as Vulnerable in the IUCN List of Threatened Species.[2] They are considered to be a species of least concern in the United States and in The Bahamas, but considered to be near threatened in the western Atlantic Ocean because of their vulnerable status in South America and reported threats throughout many areas of Central America and the Caribbean.[2] They are directly targeted in some fisheries and considered by-catch in others.
Nurse sharks are an important species for shark research.[3] They are robust and able to tolerate capture, handling, and tagging extremely well.[4] As inoffensive as nurse sharks may appear, they are ranked fourth in documented shark bites on humans,[5] likely due to incautious behavior by divers on account of the nurse shark's calm, sedentary nature.
The nurse shark has two rounded dorsal fins, rounded pectoral fins, an elongated caudal fin, and a broad head.[7] Maximum adult length is currently documented as 3.08 m (10 ft 1+1⁄2 in), whereas past reports of 4.5 m (15 ft) and corresponding weights of up to 330 kg (730 lb) are likely to have been exaggerated.[2] Adult nurse sharks are brownish in color. Newly born nurse sharks have a spotted coloration which fades with age and are about 30 cm in length when nascent.
Head
Mouth
Jaws
Teeth
Nurse shark swimming
Nurse shark turning
Nurse shark swims near boat
Distribution and habitat
The nurse shark has a wide but patchy geographical distribution along tropical and subtropical coastal waters of the Eastern Atlantic, Western Atlantic, and Eastern Pacific.[8] In the Eastern Atlantic it ranges from Cape Verde to Gabon (accidental north to France).[2] In the Western Atlantic, including the Caribbean, it ranges from Rhode Island to southern Brazil,[9] and in the East Pacific from Baja California to Peru.[2]
Nurse sharks are a typically inshore bottom-dwelling species. Juveniles are mostly found on the bottom of shallow coral reefs, seagrass flats, and around mangrove islands, whereas older individuals typically reside in and around deeper reefs and rocky areas, where they tend to seek shelter in crevices and under ledges during the day and leave their shelter at night to feed on the seabed in shallower areas.[10]
Biology and ecology
Nurse sharks are opportunistic predators that feed primarily on small fish (e.g. stingrays) and some invertebrates (e.g. crustaceans, molluscs, tunicates).[10] They are typically solitary nocturnal animals, rifling through bottom sediments in search of food at night, but are often gregarious during the day forming large sedentary groups. Nurse sharks are obligate suction feeders capable of generating suction forces that are among the highest recorded for any aquatic vertebrate to date.[11][12] Although their small mouths may limit the size of prey, they can exhibit a suck-and-spit behavior and/or shake their head violently to reduce the size of food items.[13]
Nurse sharks are exceptionally sedentary unlike most other shark species.[14] Nurse sharks show strong site fidelity (typical of reef sharks), and it is one of the few shark species known to exhibit mating site fidelity,[15] as they will return to the same breeding grounds time and time again.
American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) and American crocodiles may occasionally prey on nurse sharks in some coastal habitats. Photographic evidence and historical accounts suggest that encounters between species are commonplace in their shared habitats.[16][17]
Reproduction
Nurse sharks are ovoviviparous, with fertilized eggs hatching inside the female. The mating cycle of nurse sharks is biennial, with females taking up to 18 months to produce a new batch of eggs. The mating season runs from late June to the end of July, with a gestation period of six months and a typical litter of 21–29 pups.[9] The young nurse sharks are born fully developed at about 30 cm long.
^Osgood, G. J and J. K. Baum. (2015). "Reef sharks: recent advances in ecological understanding to inform conservation". Journal of Fisheries Biology. 87 (6): 1489–1523. doi:10.1111/jfb.12839. PMID 26709218.
^Aucoin, S., Weege, S., Toebe, M., Guertin, J., Gorham, J., Bresette, M. (2017). "A new underwater shark capture method used by divers to catch and release nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum)". Fishery Bulletin. 115 (4): 484–495. doi:10.7755/FB.115.4.5.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Ricci, J. A., Vargas, C. R., Singhal, D. and B. T. Lee. (2016). "Shark attack-related injuries: epidemiology and implications for plastic surgeons". Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery. 69 (1): 108–114. doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2015.08.029. PMID 26460789.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Goto, T. (2001). "Comparative Anatomy, Phylogeny and Cladistic Classification of the Order Orectolobiformes (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii)". Memoirs of the Graduate School of Fisheries Science, Hokkaido University. 48 (1): 1–101.
^McEachran, J.; Fechhelm, J.D. (1998). Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico, Vol. 1: Myxiniformes to Gasterosteiformes. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. Austin: University of Texas Press. p. 45. ISBN978-0-292-75206-1. OCLC 38468784. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
^Compagno, L.J.V. (2002). Bullhead, mackerel and carpet sharks (Heterodontiformes, Lamniformes and Orectolobiformes). Family Ginglymostomatidae. In: Sharks of the World: An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date, vol. 2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. pp. 188–195.
^ abCompagno, L.J.V. (1984). Sharks of the World: An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. pp. 205–207, 555–561, 588.
^ abCastro, J. I. (2000). "The biology of the nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, off the Florida east coast and the Bahama Islands)". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 58: 1–22. doi:10.1023/A:1007698017645. S2CID 32772305.
^Tanaka, S. K. (1973). "Suction feeding by the nurse shark". Copeia. 1973 (3): 606–608. doi:10.2307/1443135. JSTOR 1443135.
^Motta, P. J., Hueter, R. E., Tricas, T. C., Summers, A. P., Huber, D. R., Lowry, D., Mara, K. R., Matott, M. P., Whitenack, L. B., Wintzer, A.P. (2008). "Functional morphology of the feeding apparatus, feeding constraints, and suction performance in the nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum". Journal of Morphology. 269 (9): 1041–1055. doi:10.1002/jmor.10626. PMID 18473370. S2CID 15066259.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Motta, P. J. (2004). Prey capture behavior and feeding mechanics of elasmobranchs. In Biology of sharks and their relatives. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 165–202.
^Heithaus, M.R., Burkholder, D., Hueter, R. E., Heithaus, L. I., Prat Jr. H. L., Carrier, J. C. (2004). Reproductive biology of elasmobranchs. In: Biology of sharks and their relatives. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 269–286.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Carrier, J. C., Pratt, H. L., Castro, J. I. (2004). "Spatial and temporal variation in shark communities of the lower Florida Keys and evidence for historical population declines". Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 64 (10): 1302–1313. doi:10.1139/f07-098.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Jason Bittel (20 September 2017). "Alligators Attack and Eat Sharks, Study Confirms". National Geographic.
^Nifong, James C.; Lowers, Russell H. (2017). "Reciprocal Intraguild Predation between Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator) and Elasmobranchii in the Southeastern United States". Southeastern Naturalist. 16 (3): 383–396. doi:10.1656/058.016.0306. S2CID 90288005.
External links
Photos of Ginglymostoma cirratum on Sealife Collection
January 10, 2023
nurse, shark, confused, with, grey, nurse, shark, tawny, nurse, shark, nurse, shark, ginglymostoma, cirratum, elasmobranch, fish, family, ginglymostomatidae, conservation, status, nurse, shark, globally, assessed, vulnerable, iucn, list, threatened, species, t. Not to be confused with grey nurse shark or tawny nurse shark The nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum is an elasmobranch fish in the family Ginglymostomatidae The conservation status of the nurse shark is globally assessed as Vulnerable in the IUCN List of Threatened Species 2 They are considered to be a species of least concern in the United States and in The Bahamas but considered to be near threatened in the western Atlantic Ocean because of their vulnerable status in South America and reported threats throughout many areas of Central America and the Caribbean 2 They are directly targeted in some fisheries and considered by catch in others Nurse sharkTemporal range 112 0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Albian to Present 1 Conservation statusVulnerable IUCN 3 1 2 Scientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ChondrichthyesSuperorder SelachimorphaOrder OrectolobiformesFamily GinglymostomatidaeGenus GinglymostomaSpecies G cirratumBinomial nameGinglymostoma cirratum Bonnaterre 1788 Range in blueNurse sharks are an important species for shark research 3 They are robust and able to tolerate capture handling and tagging extremely well 4 As inoffensive as nurse sharks may appear they are ranked fourth in documented shark bites on humans 5 likely due to incautious behavior by divers on account of the nurse shark s calm sedentary nature Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Distribution and habitat 4 Biology and ecology 5 Reproduction 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksTaxonomy EditThe nurse shark genus Ginglymostoma is derived from Greek language meaning hinged mouth whereas the species cirratum is derived from Latin meaning having curled ringlets Based on morphological similarities Ginglymostoma is believed to be the sister genus of Nebrius with both being placed in a clade that also include species Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum Rhincodon typus and Stegostoma fasciatum 6 Description EditThe nurse shark has two rounded dorsal fins rounded pectoral fins an elongated caudal fin and a broad head 7 Maximum adult length is currently documented as 3 08 m 10 ft 1 1 2 in whereas past reports of 4 5 m 15 ft and corresponding weights of up to 330 kg 730 lb are likely to have been exaggerated 2 Adult nurse sharks are brownish in color Newly born nurse sharks have a spotted coloration which fades with age and are about 30 cm in length when nascent Head Mouth Jaws Teeth Nurse shark swimming Nurse shark turning Nurse shark swims near boatDistribution and habitat EditThe nurse shark has a wide but patchy geographical distribution along tropical and subtropical coastal waters of the Eastern Atlantic Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific 8 In the Eastern Atlantic it ranges from Cape Verde to Gabon accidental north to France 2 In the Western Atlantic including the Caribbean it ranges from Rhode Island to southern Brazil 9 and in the East Pacific from Baja California to Peru 2 Nurse sharks are a typically inshore bottom dwelling species Juveniles are mostly found on the bottom of shallow coral reefs seagrass flats and around mangrove islands whereas older individuals typically reside in and around deeper reefs and rocky areas where they tend to seek shelter in crevices and under ledges during the day and leave their shelter at night to feed on the seabed in shallower areas 10 Biology and ecology EditNurse sharks are opportunistic predators that feed primarily on small fish e g stingrays and some invertebrates e g crustaceans molluscs tunicates 10 They are typically solitary nocturnal animals rifling through bottom sediments in search of food at night but are often gregarious during the day forming large sedentary groups Nurse sharks are obligate suction feeders capable of generating suction forces that are among the highest recorded for any aquatic vertebrate to date 11 12 Although their small mouths may limit the size of prey they can exhibit a suck and spit behavior and or shake their head violently to reduce the size of food items 13 Nurse sharks are exceptionally sedentary unlike most other shark species 14 Nurse sharks show strong site fidelity typical of reef sharks and it is one of the few shark species known to exhibit mating site fidelity 15 as they will return to the same breeding grounds time and time again American alligators Alligator mississippiensis and American crocodiles may occasionally prey on nurse sharks in some coastal habitats Photographic evidence and historical accounts suggest that encounters between species are commonplace in their shared habitats 16 17 Reproduction EditNurse sharks are ovoviviparous with fertilized eggs hatching inside the female The mating cycle of nurse sharks is biennial with females taking up to 18 months to produce a new batch of eggs The mating season runs from late June to the end of July with a gestation period of six months and a typical litter of 21 29 pups 9 The young nurse sharks are born fully developed at about 30 cm long See also Edit Sharks portalList of sharks List of prehistoric cartilaginous fish Great white sharkReferences Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ginglymostoma cirratum Sepkoski J 2002 A compendium of fossil marine animal genera Chondrichthyes entry Bulletins of American Paleontology 364 560 a b c d e f Carlson J Charvet P Blanco Parra MP Briones Bell lloch A Cardenosa D Derrick D Espinoza E Herman K Morales Saldana J M Naranjo Elizondo B Perez Jimenez J C Schneider E V C Simpson N J Talwar B S Pollom R Pacoureau N Dulvy N K 2021 Ginglymostoma cirratum IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021 e T144141186A3095153 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2021 1 RLTS T144141186A3095153 en Retrieved 18 November 2021 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Osgood G J and J K Baum 2015 Reef sharks recent advances in ecological understanding to inform conservation Journal of Fisheries Biology 87 6 1489 1523 doi 10 1111 jfb 12839 PMID 26709218 Aucoin S Weege S Toebe M Guertin J Gorham J Bresette M 2017 A new underwater shark capture method used by divers to catch and release nurse sharks Ginglymostoma cirratum Fishery Bulletin 115 4 484 495 doi 10 7755 FB 115 4 5 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Ricci J A Vargas C R Singhal D and B T Lee 2016 Shark attack related injuries epidemiology and implications for plastic surgeons Journal of Plastic Reconstructive amp Aesthetic Surgery 69 1 108 114 doi 10 1016 j bjps 2015 08 029 PMID 26460789 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Goto T 2001 Comparative Anatomy Phylogeny and Cladistic Classification of the Order Orectolobiformes Chondrichthyes Elasmobranchii Memoirs of the Graduate School of Fisheries Science Hokkaido University 48 1 1 101 McEachran J Fechhelm J D 1998 Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico Vol 1 Myxiniformes to Gasterosteiformes Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico Austin University of Texas Press p 45 ISBN 978 0 292 75206 1 OCLC 38468784 Retrieved 13 July 2021 Compagno L J V 2002 Bullhead mackerel and carpet sharks Heterodontiformes Lamniformes and Orectolobiformes Family Ginglymostomatidae In Sharks of the World An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date vol 2 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations pp 188 195 a b Compagno L J V 1984 Sharks of the World An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations pp 205 207 555 561 588 a b Castro J I 2000 The biology of the nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum off the Florida east coast and the Bahama Islands Environmental Biology of Fishes 58 1 22 doi 10 1023 A 1007698017645 S2CID 32772305 Tanaka S K 1973 Suction feeding by the nurse shark Copeia 1973 3 606 608 doi 10 2307 1443135 JSTOR 1443135 Motta P J Hueter R E Tricas T C Summers A P Huber D R Lowry D Mara K R Matott M P Whitenack L B Wintzer A P 2008 Functional morphology of the feeding apparatus feeding constraints and suction performance in the nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum Journal of Morphology 269 9 1041 1055 doi 10 1002 jmor 10626 PMID 18473370 S2CID 15066259 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Motta P J 2004 Prey capture behavior and feeding mechanics of elasmobranchs In Biology of sharks and their relatives CRC Press Taylor amp Francis Group pp 165 202 Heithaus M R Burkholder D Hueter R E Heithaus L I Prat Jr H L Carrier J C 2004 Reproductive biology of elasmobranchs In Biology of sharks and their relatives CRC Press Taylor amp Francis Group pp 269 286 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Carrier J C Pratt H L Castro J I 2004 Spatial and temporal variation in shark communities of the lower Florida Keys and evidence for historical population declines Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 64 10 1302 1313 doi 10 1139 f07 098 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Jason Bittel 20 September 2017 Alligators Attack and Eat Sharks Study Confirms National Geographic Nifong James C Lowers Russell H 2017 Reciprocal Intraguild Predation between Alligator mississippiensis American Alligator and Elasmobranchii in the Southeastern United States Southeastern Naturalist 16 3 383 396 doi 10 1656 058 016 0306 S2CID 90288005 External links EditPhotos of Ginglymostoma cirratum on Sealife Collection Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nurse shark amp oldid 1127393088, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
